November in Perth means sunshine, moustaches, the start of beach weather and Christmas carols in department stores. This year, it also means the start of my sartorial 100 mile diet.

So, I thought it appropriate to start with what I feel is sort of the ultimate 100 mile dress. It was home made some fifty-odd years ago, here in Perth (I like to imagine on a kitchen table with an old Singer) by a lovely lady who has a very special place in my heart. I never knew her, but about eight years ago she passed away and donated her entire lifetime of home made dresses to my mum, who is a costume designer. Sophia and I had the privilege of sorting through her hundreds of perfectly preserved, immaculately sewn dresses that she’d kept from the ’40s up until the late ’70s, complete with matching belts, hats and shoes. We picked out a few of our favourite pieces to keep, and the rest went to my mum’s costume collection. These dresses have stayed in my wardrobe(s) ever since, and are my favourite and most cherished pieces. I don’t know much about the amazing old lady, other than she lived in Perth her whole life, was an excellent sewer and that she was called Julie, because she had embroidered her name onto one of her umbrellas.